Question of the Day

Do you support a path to citizenship for Dreamers?

Fleming, Ian Fleming

Spooks at NACIC the National Counterintelligence Center located at CIA headquarters have been given a history of the real spy 007 in their quarterly newsletter.A passport belonging to legendary British Navy Commander Ian Fleming, creator of the even more legendary James Bond, was recently auctioned off by Sotheby's in London for 15,525 pounds, or $24,850 five times more than expected.Mr. Fleming used the passport on an actual spy mission, code-named "Operation Goldeneye."Sound familiar?According to the CIA, Mr. Fleming used the passport during World War II for roundtrip travel between Madrid and Gibraltar to monitor various top-secret installations in the Mediterranean and Middle East."The aim of Operation Goldeneye was to conduct limited sabotage and to monitor the movements of Spain in the event it joined the war on Germany's side," the CIA reports."Spanish fascist dictator General Francisco Franco had been supported by Germany in the Spanish Civil War and there was a real possibility the two countries would join forces."After the war, the CIA says, Mr. Fleming gave the name "Goldeneye" to his house in Jamaica, and the name was also used for the James Bond movie released in 1995.

Who's Pryce?

Cybill Shepherd, Warren Beatty and the myriad other celebrity presidential wannabes needn't worry Tom Selleck is not running. At least not this November.But billboards in Los Angeles and New York, posted to coincide with yesterday's Super Tuesday primaries, had voters rechecking the ballots.Bearing a striking resemblance to actual presidential campaign ads, the billboards complete with Mr. Selleck's photo were promoting the actor's role in the upcoming television film, "Washington Slept Here."The comedy-drama takes a behind-the-scenes look at presidential politics, Hollywood and the media. Mr. Selleck, who is actually very politically active, stars alongside Faye Dunaway and plays the role of presidential hopeful James Reynolds Pryce.

Calm before Gore

Now that the GOP leadership has a better grasp of who will represent the Grand Old Party come November, they can kick back and relax at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla., awaiting the next round of mudslinging.The Republican Leadership Council will hold its annual winter meeting at the plush resort starting Friday, and among those making the trip are Michigan Gov. John Engler, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Maine Sen. Olympia J. Snowe and Florida Rep. Mark Foley.Mr. Foley will actually address fellow Republicans in the "Tennis Pavilion."

So help me Henry

Americans have mixed reaction to a Department of Energy advisory this week that gasoline prices will likely reach $2 a gallon by summer's end.Conservationists say the price hike already reaching $1.50 a gallon in most states is what this country needs to get more people out of their gas-guzzling cars and onto public transportation.Americans, reason others, have long been spoiled with cheap gasoline prices, citing Europe as one continent where petrol costs have historically been a dollar or two higher per gallon.Then there's Mike Mehl, address unknown. Via the Internet, Mr. Mehl has declared all-out war on the gasoline price rise, encouraging Americans to refrain from purchasing gasoline between April 7 and 9 buying what they need before those dates, or after, but not during the "gas out."In fact, he is distributing a pledge, asking automobile owners to place their hands on their owner's manuals and repeat after him:"I, (state your name)"Do solemnly swear,"To, along with 250 million other Americans … not buy any gasoline on April 7-9, 2000, unless I really need it,"So help me Henry Ford."

Alaska first

We never knew there were so many Inside the Beltway readers up north until we inadvertently failed to include Alaska in our item about Congress adding Guam to the list of American time zones, in effect making it the first American time zone.We'll allow Steve Cox, of Fairbanks, to speak for the rest:"You forgot Alaska Time. In fact, we have two time zones dedicated to the biggest state in the Union. Our primary time is one hour past Western time, and before the Hawaiian time zone. We also have the Aleutians, which also cross the international date line."

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